“My Crew (Woooo)”

Cadence Weapon, the Polaris Prize-shortlisted rapper, returns in style after a five-year hiatus on the Kaytranada-produced “My Crew (Woo).” The track finds Cadence Weapon (aka Rollie Pemberton, Edmonton’s former poet laureate) as loose and playful as ever, shifting with ease between deliberate brags about his crew, dense double-time rapping, and woozy tunefulness. “Talking shit with your clique, but when all alone, it’s confusion/Acting like Beefcake Brutus when typing on your computer,” he quips at internet tough-guys. His rapping has never sounded this tight or precise. He’s aided by Kaytranada’s stripped down, mercurial beat; it’s more mellow than the Montreal producer’s usual, colorful fare, yet well-suited to Pemberton’s thoughtful flow. These Canadian artists bridge the gap between their considerably different styles, finding mutual ground and serious IRL chemistry.